


Wherever You Go Today

by Ithinkwehaveanemergency



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Series, Theo Raeken Gets All the Hugs, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 14:45:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12866727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithinkwehaveanemergency/pseuds/Ithinkwehaveanemergency
Summary: The five times that a McCall Pack member hugs Theo and tells him they love him, and the one time Theo does it to one of them.Or, the all but mandatory 5 + 1 fic that nobody asked me to write for the Thiam fandom.Inspired by listening to my Fleet Foxes Vinyl.  I'm sure you can guess which song.





	Wherever You Go Today

**Author's Note:**

> "And you will go to Mykonos  
> With a vision of a gentle coast  
> And a sun to maybe dissipate  
> Shadows of the mess you made"  
> -Mykonos, by Fleet Foxes

The first time Theo gets a declaration of love and a hug from a pack member, everything changes.

 

Theo had helped the pack several times over the course of their battle with Gerard and the Anuk-Ite. He had also traveled and fought by Malia's and Derek's sides, when the three of them had been sent to aid and warn other packs of the new global network of hunters.

 

He didn't think he was necessarily on anyone's good side, but he was definitely a strong, trusted ally. By the time a month had passed, he was involved with all pack matters, particularly ones that involved Liam.

 

The morning after Scott and the others had defeated the Anuk-Ite, they met up to talk and recap what happened in all the different sites of battle that night. Derek relayed Argent's side of his story for him, as he preferred relaxing at his home with Melissa to reliving the night the rest of his blood-relatives died, and Corey had volunteered the story of what happened at the hospital.

 

When Corey finished stuttering through an explanation of Gabe's last moments, Liam had broken the awkward silence by grudgingly admitting to the entire pack, that he had sort-of, somehow, kind of found an anchor in the past few days. And while he was breaking the news, he added that as of the night before, he had invited said homeless anchor to crash on his couch until further notice.

 

The pack had looked at Theo, because no one really needed Liam to elaborate on that confession. The silence remained awkward. At least until Derek spoke up.

 

"So, I understand that this kid has committed crimes worthy of hell and whatnot, but I mean, I talked to Melissa about what happened at the hospital…" Derek shrugged at the rest of the pack as they turned their attention to him. He looked directly at Scott. "It sounded a lot like he was willing to die for your pack, specifically the two people you care about the most. And by the description Melissa gave of how many bullets she had to fish out of him, he almost did."

 

Scott nodded and walked across the room to grip Theo's shoulders lightly.

 

"I knew I could trust you to protect Liam, and that’s why I called you." Scott pulled him in for a hug and lowered his voice. "But being willing to protect my mom,  though we both know she doesn't need it, is something entirely different. I didn't expect that of you, but just so you know, I kind of love you for that."

 

Theo patted Scott on the back tentatively, face screwed up with mixed emotions. Scott just smiled at him when he pulled away.

 

"Plus," Derek started, grinning, "He can't be nearly as douche-y as Jackson."

 

Theo just watched as the entire pack exploded into argument and laughter. It was a much needed reprieve from the seriousness of the morning, and Theo was grateful that no one was looking at him anymore. Except Liam, who he'd never seen direct a genuine smile at him before that moment, and suddenly Theo wanted to see it every day for the rest of his life.

 

*****

 

The second time Theo gets a declaration of love and a hug from a pack member is after he's picked up pizza for the third official pack movie night. The older members of the pack had come back to visit the high school seniors, bringing a new pack member in tow, a younger teen wolf who had lost his entire pack and family. Alec was under the official guardianship of Melissa McCall, and he was starting school in Beacon Hills as a junior in January.

 

Theo was on dinner duty for this larger than usual occasion. Its not that Theo is part of the pack, per se, but he is always around. And he is Liam's anchor.

 

So, pack movie night (plus Theo) was a thing.

 

Theo was given explicit instructions to get three pepperoni, three cheese, and three veggie pizzas. Theo didn't do as he was told. He knew for a fact that Corey, who he'd bonded with quite a bit since he inserted himself into Liam and Mason's circle, only ate ham and pineapple pizza. The were-chameleon couldn't stand any other kind of pizza, even if the rest of the pack thought he was some sort of antichrist for it.

 

Theo showed up to movie night with three pepperoni, two cheese, three veggie, and one hawaiian pizza.

 

Several supernatural-nosed members of the pack had gasped as he walked in with the pizza, the rest of them groaned as they caught on to what Theo had done. Mason and Liam had just laughed themselves into hiccups at the pack's outrage.

 

Corey had run up to the chimera and thrown his arms around him, yelling, "I fucking love you, bro."

 

Theo didn't really understand what the big deal was, but he hugged him back anyway.

 

*****

 

The third time Theo gets a hug and declaration of love from a pack member, its right after everyone has parted ways the night of Monroe's demise.

 

Mason and Theo were sitting in Theo's truck in silence. Theo in Liam's running shorts, which he kept in in his backseat for when he full-shifted, and Mason's tuxedo jacket, because he didn't have an extra shirt with him. Mason was in a very ruffled and slightly bloodied suit.

 

Monroe had shown up to ambush them at their senior prom.

 

The audacity.

 

But Stiles and Derek had been running various lines of tracking Monroe, using their FBI and pack allies, and through clever infiltration, they were aware of the plan of attack.  They turned their Prom into a trap.  Stiles had FBI agents posing as students and chaperones, as the deserving senior class had discreetly been instructed to attend a postponed prom, the day after their graduation.

 

Once the first shot was fired, by Monroe herself, at Liam no less… the FBI gunned her down and started to expertly detain the overkill 40-man army she had led to the large Beacon Hills gathering, luckily sparing all the other hunters' lives, even if they hardly deserved it.

 

Theo had been in attendance. Yes, he was technically Liam's date, but only to be present for backup. His tuxedo had been shredded. It was from Goodwill anyway.

 

The chimera had been fully shifted, remnants of his suit hanging off of his dark wolf-coat, when a trio of very muscular men had seized Corey. The high school senior had been trying to vanish with injured human FBI allies, leading them to safety under a chameleon cover. He had collided with Alec, who was being attacked by a group of Monroe's soldiers. Upon realizing that Corey was a were-being, they had immediately attempted to apprehend him, knocking the agents out and battering Corey significantly before dragging him off. Theo had charged at them, ripping several fingers from each of their hands, taking a whole fist off of one individual attacker. It was the most harm he had done to any creature, human or not, since he'd come back from hell, but Theo couldn't stand the sight of them hurting one of his best friends. Theo could still taste the blood after he shifted back an hour later. And it was a bitter, hollow taste, not one of satisfaction, as it might've been years before.

 

To top it off, Theo never even got to dance with Liam, fake date or not.

 

Corey was absolutely fine, but as soon as the dust had settled, he'd been rushed in Argent's SUV to the clinic for Melissa and Lydia to help set his shoulder into place and tend to his other minor breaks and injuries. Liam went with the were-chameleon, helping him with the pain. Scott was there as well, as the Animal Clinic was technically under his management, and they had a few other supernatural allies in need of patching up.

 

Stiles and Derek were at the scene with Agent McCall and the Sherriff. They had insisted that Theo take Mason to see his boyfriend.

 

Mason didn't move when Theo pulled up in front of the clinic. So, Theo sat with him in silence, until he was ready to go inside. He knew Mason had seen Corey die before, but it had been before they were deeply in love and planning a future together. Theo had no idea how it felt to see the man you were hoping to spend the rest of your life with being dragged off by enemies. He hoped he wouldn't ever have to see that.

 

"Thank you." Mason broke the silence suddenly.

 

Before Theo could respond or even turn toward the human, he was plastered to Theo's side, lean arms firmly secured around the chimera's shoulders. He placed a firm, comforting hand on Mason's elbow, and allowed his friend to hug him for a full minute. Then, Mason was off of him faster than he could process and paused outside the vehicle, before speaking softly.

 

"I love you, man." Mason sighed with a teary smile before letting the door shut and jogging into the clinic to go see the man he loved.

 

*****

 

The fourth time Theo gets a hug and a declaration of love from a pack member, its from Stiles.

 

Yeah, okay, Theo never thought he'd see the day that Stiles would tell him that he loved him, but then again, he never really considered the possibility of seeing Stiles shitfaced on New Year's Eve.

 

The McCall house had been empty when Scott moved away. Melissa lived with Chris in an apartment in San Francisco, and they hadn't bothered to sell the house. So, they rented it out to Liam and Theo for a very affordable price while the two friends attended Beacon Hills Community College. Liam took Scott's old room, and Theo lived in the guest room.  The master was always available for when Scott, Melissa, Chris or Malia came to visit.

 

The house was also perfect for every holiday reunion. New Years Eve was a bit more intimate than Christmas had been.

 

After Christmas, everyone except the core pack members had gone back to their homes, and Alex was staying with the Sherrif. Mason and Corey were back from school for their entire winter break. Stiles, Scott, Derek, and Malia were also staying for New Years, but their presence was less irregular, as all four lived within four or five hours of Beacon Hills.

 

With only eight of them in the house, it was no surprise that it got a little rowdy towards midnight.

 

They'd all gone to the roof to watch the fireworks. Everyone cheered as they went off, while the newest couple to the pack, Derek and Stiles, as well as Mason and Corey, exchanged kisses.

 

Scott and Malia had broken up months ago when Malia had gone to meet and live with her cousin, Cora. The two were still best friends and since she'd moved back from South America, they seemed to be on the track to getting back together. Malia seemed to think this was as good a time as any to confirm that she still loved Scott, so she went in for a pretty enthusiastic kiss when the fireworks started going off.

 

The pack started whooping and hollering even louder than the sound of the fireworks, and Liam let out a petulant exclamation about not getting a new years kiss. Theo had slapped a disgustingly wet kiss on his temple at that, prompting Liam to squawk in protest and shove the chimera off the roof. They gasped as Theo hit the bushes, until the chimera yelled "But you asked, you nerd!" from the ground, at which point everyone laughed and proceeded to go back into the house.

 

Midnight had long since passed, but with Stiles drunk, and Scott and Malia high on the rush of getting back together, the party was still as rowdy as ever.

 

"Theo!" Stiles shouted. "Theo, did you make these?! Oh my god, they're so gooooo- Oh heyyy, babycakes."

 

Stiles stumbled into the kitchen, stopping when he noticed Derek was helping Theo do the dishes. The twenty-year-old had half a blondie in one hand, a champagne flute in the other, and was swaying where he stood. He walked up to them as Theo turned off the water and wiped his hands on a dish towel. Theo turned and suddenly felt the drunken man's embrace.

 

"Yo, I think you got the wrong person there, buddy." Theo patted Stile's hair where his face was buried in Theo's shoulder.

 

"No, no, no." Stiles slurred. "I just… you remember on Halloween, when I was having that big drunken freak-out about not being a real bisexual if I'd never hooked up with a guy, and I tried to molest you?"

 

"The fuck." Derek froze where he was drying dishes and turned to his boyfriend and close friend.

 

"Yeah, I did that, by the way." Stiles pulled halfway away from Theo to smile at his boyfriend, still swaying. Theo grabbed his arms to steady him as he continued. "But so, you gave me that lecture about how that was bullshit, and that you wouldn't ever touch me anyway because you couldn't do that to Derek, who I had no idea liked me at all, let alone loved me?"

 

Theo looked up at Derek sheepishly. The werewolf just narrowed his eyes.

 

"Anyway!" Stiles was yelling at this point. "I just realized that I never said thank you! Because, I mean, that was totally the reason I pulled my head out of my ass and made a move on Derbear! So yeah, I owe you everything. Without you, I don't know if we would have ever found each other at the right time. And now, I can't imagine ever not being in love with him. So, I love you, man!"

 

Theo patted Stiles on the back when the plastered human went in for a hug once more. He looked up at Derek, who was fighting a smile.

 

"Alright, Stiles." Derek sighed. "Let the poor kid go. This is probably more of a punishment than a thanks."

 

Stiles pulled away finally and went to hold his boyfriend's hand.

 

"And Theo?" Stiles spoke seriously, suddenly looking much more sober. "I hope you find that kind of love too. You deserve it."

 

When Theo glanced away shyly, he noticed Liam in the doorway to the room, a considering look on his face. His housemate simply turned and walked away.

 

*****

 

The fifth time Theo got a hug and a declaration of love from a member of the pack, it was the day he was supposed to get on a plane to Europe.

 

After one year of community college, Theo found that he wasn't sure he even wanted to get a degree. Classes had been fun, because learning was always fun, but he felt like maybe he just wanted to work and travel and experience things he never was able to when he was younger.

 

Liam was having the time of his life with school. He was excited to be able to work toward the history degree he so badly wanted. Theo loved listening to him talk about what he learned when they sat down to have dinner and watch TV on the nights they both had off. Liam was in his element. So, it made sense that he already had plenty of acceptances to transfer to other schools, with working scholarship opportunities, contingent on completing a few more general education credits.  Liam was so excited he'd signed up for as many summer classes as he could manage.

 

Theo had saved up a lot of money, as they had such low rent. He often played video games and skyped with Jackson and Ethan, and when he'd divulged his decision to not continue at BHCC, he'd received an offer to stay with the couple in Europe for the summer. They had a spare room that they offered up to him, and an guarantee to show him around several countries, which piqued his interest, as he never really traveled as a kid.

 

It was a pleasant 68 degrees, despite the fact that Liam was dropping Theo off at the airport at five-thirty in the morning. The two sat in the car, not speaking for a minute. Theo wasn't sure what he should say. It wasn't like Theo was leaving Liam all alone in their big empty shared house. Mason and Corey were going to stay with him while they were on summer break. Also, Liam had tons of friends from his classes, and was always going on dates.

 

It wasn't even going to be for that long.

 

Theo would only be gone for a month, but his heart was in his throat anyway, blocking the goodbye that should be coming out of his mouth.

 

"I can't-" Theo cleared his throat after his first words came out choked. He let out a soft laugh. "I don't remember the last time I went more than a couple days without seeing you."

 

Liam looked up and met his gaze with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He got out of the car without a word, and Theo followed suit. Liam hauled a small suitcase out of the back, setting it on the curb as Theo grabbed his large backpack. Liam shut the trunk and the two young men faced one another.

 

"Be safe. Don't do something dumb and die." Liam said in complete seriousness before stepping forward to wrap his arms around Theo's shoulders. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I love you, but I will hate you if you leave me."

 

Theo wrapped his arms around Liam's back, squeezing even tighter.

 

"I won't die." Theo grinned into Liam's shoulder. "I'd never leave you, puppy."

 

A minute went by before Liam pulled away and stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt pocket, glancing at the sliding door to the airport behind Theo. He looked back and Theo and nodded.

 

"See you in a month."

 

"See you in a month." Theo nodded back, turning determinedly toward the terminal entrance.

 

Theo got all the way to the door before he heard Liam's voice and turned back to face the car and the werewolf standing beside it.

 

"The end of January." Liam spoke, barely raising his voice. The chimera could hear him perfectly clearly, but he made a face in confusion, so Liam continued. "In January, you went to San Diego for six days, with Stiles and Derek and that model guy they set you up with. That was the last time we went more than a day without seeing each other."

 

The lump in Theo's throat that he had previously swallowed down rushed back up, and he was left gaping at his best friend.

 

"I, uh-" Liam swallowed and nodded. "That was the worst week I've had all year."

 

Liam turned and got back in the car before Theo could find his words, pulling away from the curb and leaving Theo standing there, blocking the door.

 

An elderly lady coughed out an 'excuse me,' breaking Theo from his trance. He started off toward the security line.

 

He couldn't sleep on the plane.

 

*****

 

The first time that Theo hugged a pack member and told them that he loved them was nine days later.

 

Liam had been working at the Animal clinic throughout his first year of college, and was closing up for the day when the door up front jingled.

 

"We're closed, did you want to make an appointment?" Liam yelled from the office when suddenly he was hit with a faint, very familiar smell. He jumped out of his seat and rushed toward the lobby.

 

"Hey puppy." Theo beamed at him, standing by the door, shirtless, in running shorts and sneakers, a tired look on his face. "Long time no see."

 

"What the fuck, Theo?" Liam's brow scrunched in confusion. "You're supposed to be in Greece."

 

"Did you get my pictures?" Theo continued smiling.

 

"Yeah, all like… two hundred of them." Liam scoffed, crossing his arms. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I looked for you at the house, but Mason and Corey said you were here, so I came here." Theo smirked.

 

"You know that’s not what I mean." Liam rolled his eyes, frowning deeper.

 

"So, you could probably tell by how I texted you everything I did, and sent you 57, not 200, pictures during my six days tripping through the UK, that I really, really, really missed you." Theo rambled, walking toward the werewolf slowly. He stopped a couple feet in front of his very confused best friend. "And then Ethan was so excited while he was talking about all the things we were going to do in Greece, and Italy, and Spain, and I kept saying things like, 'oh man, Liam would love that' or 'Liam's going to be so jealous,' at literally every single thing he listed. So then finally Jackson stopped the entire conversation and was like, 'do you even want to go to Greece with us, Theo?' and I thought about it for a minute and I suddenly realized… No, I didn't want to go to Greece with them."

 

"What-" Liam started, dropping his arms to his sides, his eyebrows shooting toward his hairline.

 

"No, cause you know what?" Theo interrupted Liam and took another step forward and gripped the younger man's shoulders. "I want to go to Greece with you, Liam. And I want to go to Italy with you. And I want to go to Spain with you. I don't ever want to go anywhere with out you, Liam, ever again. Not Santorini, not Mykonos, and not fucking San Diego."

 

"You mean that?" Liam looked up at his housemate, eyes shining and unsure.

 

"I barely want to go down the fucking street without you, Li." Theo frowned, squeezing Liam's shoulders tighter. "So, I need to know… when I left… how exactly did you mean it when you said you loved me?"

 

"I mean it in every sense that the word exists." Liam whispered, staring firmly into Theo's eyes. "I've never loved anyone this much in my entire life, and I'm pretty sure I never will."

 

Theo swallowed down the lump that he'd thought would never leave his throat and surged forward to hug Liam, burying his face in his best friend's shaggy mane, inhaling the scent he'd missed so much over the past week. When he felt strong arms circle his waist, the action was accompanied by a strangled sob of relief, and Theo wasn't exactly sure it didn't come from himself.

 

"I'm so in love with you, Liam." Theo exhaled shakily. He brought a hand up to tangle in the younger man's hair before pulling away enough to look into his eyes and place his other hand on his cheek. "I think I've been in love with you since you pulled me out of hell, but it gets stronger every day, and I cannot imagine my life without-"

 

Liam cut him off by pressing their lips together softly, tentatively. Theo returned the kiss with more force, easing his way into Liam's mouth to taste his tongue the way he'd so desperately wanted to for so long. Liam's hands ran along his bare sides and up to the chimera's firm shoulders before pulling away slowly and pressing their foreheads together. The shared the same air for a moment before Theo opened his eyes and saw a smile starting to spread across Liam's face.

 

"What?" Theo smiled back, pulling a little further away as Liam opened his eyes.

 

"I'm really glad you didn't get to see Mykonos without me." Liam grinned.

 

"Nerd." Theo laughed out before pulling Liam into another tight hug.

 

"You love me." Liam mumbled into Theo's neck.

 

"I love you." Theo conceded, sinking into and savoring the feeling of holding the man he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, as this was written and posted from my tablet. Feel free to point them out if they're super bad!


End file.
